Fairy Tales and Lasagna
by therealshawn
Summary: Robin needs Regina to take care of Roland for a few hours, and complete fluff ensues.


A/N: So, this was mostly written before the finale that broke my OQ heart. Which technically makes it AU now, I suppose...

* * *

"Robin, no. I don't—"

"Regina, love, it's my turn to take watch and he needs somewhere to stay." She sighed and started to protest again, but he gently cut her off. "Regina. I need someone to watch my son for a few hours and there's no one I trust more than you. You'll be fine. You'll both be fine."

She groaned lightly but couldn't hide the smile that rose to her face. "Okay."

"Yeah?"

She grinned. "Yeah."

He kissed her thoroughly then shot to his feet. "Roland?" The boy poked his head around the corner from where he had been quietly playing with some of Henry's old toys. "Son, I have to go out for a little while, so you're going to stay with Regina. Is that alright?"

The child toddled over to the couch where Regina was seated, a shy smile on his face. She couldn't help but chuckle at his dimples, which matched his father's exactly, as she reached out and pulled him onto her lap. Despite the flutter in her chest at Robin's declaration of trust, she couldn't help but feel oddly nervous. This wouldn't be the first time she and Roland had interacted, as she and Robin had been spending more and more time together as of late, but it would be the first time she would be watching him by herself. She wanted everything to go smoothly.

The evening had gone smoothly – even more so than Regina had hoped. After Robin had left, she and Roland had chatted and giggled quietly for a moment, and then he had returned to the toys in the spare room while she had made a pan of lasagna. Roland had eaten the meal with gusto, and she could feel herself growing more and more fond of the boy with every second.

Hearing the phone ring, she had stepped out of the kitchen for a moment, leaving Roland sitting at the table to finish his food. She had barely been gone for two minutes when she heard a loud crash, followed by a wail.

"'Ginaaaa!"

She rushed a goodbye and threw the phone onto her desk, rushing towards the kitchen. "Roland? Sweetie, are you—" She stopped in the doorway and tried to repress a smile at the pitiful sight before her. Roland had somehow managed to drop a substantial amount of lasagna all over himself and the floor. His plate had shattered and was scattered all over the tile in a mess of pasta sauce and cheese. She could see that the boy was on the verge of tears, so she hurried to his side. "Roland, sweetheart, are you alright?" He nodded sadly and she reached over the mess on the floor to pick him up. "That was pretty scary, huh?"

He nodded again, and mumbled a quiet "I'm sorry, 'Gina."

She smiled and hugged him tightly, ignoring the tomato sauce that was now getting all over her dress. "I'm not mad, sweetie. I'm just glad you're okay. Now how about we get you washed up?"

After a long, warm bath, Roland got dressed in a set of flannel pajamas that Regina had found in a box of Henry's old clothes. They picked out a book of bedtime stories and curled up on the couch in front the fire. He fell asleep within minutes, his tiny hand gripping one of hers and his quiet, deep breaths calming and comforting her in a way that she hadn't felt in the past few years since Henry had left.

Robin walked into the living room a few hours later to see the two of them fast asleep on the sofa. He smiled softly and gently woke Regina up, lifting Roland off of her lap. "He can just sleep upstairs," she whispered, grabbing his arm, "in Henry's room. Moving him in and out of the car might wake him up."

He gave her a pointed look but didn't disagree. "You just like having a kid around again."

She grinned. "Maybe I do, yeah."

"I told you you'd both be fine."

They walked up the stairs and Regina watched from the bedroom doorway as Robin tucked his son into bed. He stepped out into the hall and slipped a hand into hers, closing the door behind him. "So. Everything went well?"

She nodded. "Everything was great. And you're right. It was…nice. Having a kid around again. Henry's always back and forth between here and Emma's, and even when he was younger…" She looked down. "The last few years have just been…"

"Hey," he murmured, gently lifting her chin so her eyes met his. "It's alright."

"Yes." She took a deep breath and smiled. "Yes, it is."

He started to say something but stopped, looking curiously at the pearl necklace she was wearing. "What," he swiped at it with one finger, raising it to eye level, "is this?"

Laughing, she reached up to wipe at the spot she must have missed. "Lasagna sauce."


End file.
